Today I’m going to show you how to make a fun Thanksgiving craft perfect for both kids and adults! These darling turkeys are made from candy and completely edible! They are a fun activity for holiday parties, family nights, or just for fun. I’m also going to show you how to make a great little pilgrim hat at the end as well.
Ingredients/Supplies needed for candy turkeys:
Double Stuff Oreo Cookies
Candy Corn
Whoppers
Mini peanut butter cups
Chocolate frosting*
Yellow Frosting*
Optional: Red frosting*
Optional: black sprinkles for eyes
*For these kinds of things I love to use the little pre-filled tubes of colored frosting you can buy in the baking aisle. The chocolate is easy to make, and homemade actually works a little better because you can make it stiff. However, for the colored details like yellow and red, these little tubes are great. It doesn’t really matter what they taste like and they last forever (which is both cool and disturbing at the same time.) I’m using store-bought tubes for everything here purely for convenience- works great!
Step 1:
Grab a cookie. You don’t have to put frosting in there, but I like to because it holds in the candy corn a little better. Just give it a little squeeze of chocolate.
Then stuff in your candycorn. If you’re in some sort of candy corn shortage, you can cut off the white tips to use later for your beaks. I think the candy corn sticks in better with the tip so I leave it on. Go ahead and do all of the cookies through this step.
Step 2:
Next, put a dab of frosting on the opposite end of the cookie and secure it to the “base” cookie. It helps to place them next to a wall as they dry so they stay put.
While those are drying, unwrap your peanut butter cups. Take a sharp knife and cut a sliver off one end. (I don’t need to tell you what to do with the sliver, do I?) It helps to gently cut in a sawing motion so you don’t break the PB cup. (Although I wouldn’t have to tell you what to do with a broken one either, would I?) Cut it from the bottom like I show here:
Once those are ready, flip your cookies over, but you may find it’s easy to keep them next to the wall. My frosting was a bit soft, so they needed the extra support.
Place a dab of frosting on the peanut butter cup, and place it on the cookie like so:
Step 3:
Now those little guys will need heads, so glue a whopper on there with frosting as well. I put frosting on the side of the whopper that hits both the cookie and the PB cup. We wouldn’t want a turkey running around with its head cut off, would we??
While they’re still lying there, use a dab of frosting (I use yellow) and glue on the white tip of a candy corn for a beak. Put two yellow dots on for eyes, and for the black spots in the eyes you can use a dab of chocolate frosting, or a mini chocolate chip, or a little sprinkle like I’ve used. A sprinkle is really the perfect size if you have them.
Step 4:
Once the beak is secure, you can flip them over and draw on some little yellow feet. If you have red frosting too (usually comes in a set with the tube of yellow) you can add a little gobble gobble. Or whatever that thing is called. What is it called? I’m too lazy to google. Extra giveaway entry for the first person who can tell me. Okay not really but I’ll think you’re awesome.
And there you go, cute as can be!
These make really cute place card holders too, for either a kid, or adult table! How cute is my little turkey family?
Stick one on each plate and everyone will say “Awwwwwwe….” If you have kids old enough to handle making them, it’s a fun project for them to be in charge of.
They’re also darling combined with pilgrim hats.
Those are just marshmallows dipped in chocolate and placed on a fudge strip cookie. Use yellow frosting to make the buckle. (Pretty much the Thanksgiving version of the Halloween witch hats seen in this post!)
Hope you enjoy these fun little things! Happy Friday!
Questions & Reviews
I scaned the comments and didn’t see someone come up with “Wattle” the thing that hangs off the beak. I made the witches hats for my sewing group and will get the supplies for the turkeys — they are so cute.
Love these! & the little red wobbly thing is called the turkey’s waddle (i know it sounds kinda strange)
Want to do these with my great nieces, age 3 & 2!
These are just too stinking cute to be believed. I’m going to make some for my grandchildren. So doggone cute!
I want to make them & take them to my ABC group(“Bible Class”) it’s our turn to bring treats. I’m making my Mom’s cinnamon Rolls but these Turkeys are Awesome! I need to call my local grocery store to see if they have candy corn cause I don’t. THANK YOU FOR A GREAT IDEA’S. I’ll write back to tell you how everyone liked the turkey’s. Cross your fingers that Cub has “candy corn”!
What a great way to use up your leftover candy corn!! I have to save this idea to use with my granddaughter (she’s only 2 months…) later!!
thanks ever!!
kelly
How do I get the place cards? I love the turkeys!
I’m going to make these
Love them, will have to try them. <3
I love these. I will have to try them!!<3
waddle
My daughter and I will be making these for her food art project in art this year. She’s super excited to make them. First time ever!! 🙂 🙂
too cute!
Dear Ladies,
This has to be one of the cutest projects I have ever seen I have been a crafter since I was 10, so for 50 years, you win the prize. Absolutely adorable! Many wishes for more adorable creations.
By they way, that little red thing on the turkey is called a waddle 🙂
Congratulations! And what an awesome treat for my Girl Scout Troop to make!
The Pilgrim hat is a wonderful idea for dippin chocolate…thank you for sharing!!
I am 9 yrs old and I LOVE these !!!!! I can’t wait to make these 4 my class !!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks 4 posting it !!!!!!
sincerly,
EMMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a fourth grade teacher, retired, we made these in class. The parents sent what was needed and the students made 2 each, one to eat now and one for home. Plus I sent the instructions home so family could enjoy,. It was always a super great project for everyone.
ADORABLE!
I absolute love these!!! It’s awesome how you go through each step with pics and instructions!!! Love it….makes it soo much easier for amateurs like me to attempt! You don’t know how many times I see something I want to try & when I click on it, they have no directions!!
Thanks again…great job!!!!
I will definitely be making these for Thanksgiving this year, So excited.
Great idea for my 6 year old granddaughter! Thanks!
I can’t wait to make these with my little kiddos, I also love the little witch hats. Thanks for the great ideas. 🙂
I love these… made them in Nov. 2011 and will continue to do so every November!! BIG hit with the kids @ the family get together… I love being a favorite auntie, now these do take a little time to put together and I have to put mine in the fridge to make everything “stick” well but it’s so worth it! Can’t wait to try making the penguin cupcakes this upcoming December, looks like effort is definately needed but they are so cute!!!
Those are very cute and clever!! Thank you for sharing!!
I made the Oreo turkeys this year and they were a hit. While I was assembling them my older sister sat next to me with her smart craftiness and placed candy corn all the way around some oreos…instant (and super cute) sun flowers. Both looked great on the dinner table!
OMG!! they’re ADORABLE! your tutorials are so precise that I just want to try it by myself when I get home.By the way I spotted that one of our users pinned this up to her Pinspire collection I just want to verify that you are okay with this. Don’t hesitate to get in touch for the link ([email protected])
Thanks for sharing this darling little Turkeys. I didn’t get them made this year but they will be front and center next Thanksgiving! Blessings to both of you and your families.
Made these yesterday with my 3 boys… while our turkeys are not 100% sanitary =) these turned out super cute!!
Little trick… put the turkeys into the refrigerator in between steps to let the icing harden up… otherwise it’s almost impossible to get the stuff to stay together.
Also… be warned… don’t try making these at home if you have ANY perfectionist tendencies. =)